U.S murder suspect Amanda Knox is escorted by a penitentiary police officer as she arrives for a hearing in the Meredith Kercher murder trial

A prosecutor in the trial of Amanda Knox was today facing a ten-month jail sentence after a court heard he should be convicted of abuse of power.

Giuliano Mignini is also accused of obstruction of justice and illegally wiretapping journalists but has been allowed to carry on as lead prosecutor in Knox's sensational court case.

The 21-year-old American is jointly accused with her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 25, of murdering and sexually assaulting her flatmate Meredith Kercher.

Meredith, 21, was found semi naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox and Mignini has told the trial she was killed after refusing to take part in a drug fuelled sex game.

His own trial began a year ago and centres on his involvement in the so called Monster of Florence serial killings which left 14 people dead between 1974 and 1985, all courting couples.

Mignini was investigating the mystery death of chemist Francesco Narducci found downed in a lake near Perugia in 1985 and who is said to have ordered the serial killings.

Along with the police chief investigating the serial killings Michele Giuttari, Mignini is said to have planted bugging devices in journalists cars and also used his power to question reporters at length for no reason and without charge.

At the trial in Florence prosecutor Luca Turco called for his judicial colleague Mignini to be jailed for ten months while he asked for Giuttari to be given two and half years.

During their trial, judge Dania Mori has heard from dozens of witnesses including several journalists and police officers while both Mignini and Giuttari deny the charges. A verdict is expected at the end of the month.

Today Giuttari was unavailale for comment while Mignini would only say: 'I do not regret anything I have done and I would do it all again. The truth will come out at the end of the trial.'

If found guilty he will not go to jail as under Italian law all first time verdicts go to an immeditate appeal and sentence does not become definite until it reaches the 'third level' at the Supreme Court.

As a result he will continue to prosecute in the Knox murder trial despite facng the possibility of having a conviction under appeal hanging over him.

Knox and Sollecito's hearing continues on May 22 and at the last hearing forensic scientists told the court how bloody footprints found at the murder scene where 'compatible' with imprints taken from them while in prison custody.